percabeth: the concert
by annaerba
Summary: percy and annabeth break up, but can the music concert get them back together?


-The Concert-

Tonight is the first annual Concert. When you want, you can jump on stage and sing, like an actual concert, but if nobody offers to go up, Chiron would get on and randomly pick someone out of the crowd. If you got picked, you had to sing. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Chiron and I had it all planned out, even though he was a little reluctant to have to get on stage.

The conch horn blew, indicating that the concert would start in ten minutes. The rest of my cabin filed out and rushed to the pavilion to get good seats. I was the last one ready and was about to walk out of the door, when it slammed shut in my face. I turned around after the bright flash behind me died down. Athena was there, and started to speak. "Annabeth, Percy doesn't love you anymore. I know you probably think I'm only trying to separate you, but I'm not lying this time."

I looked down, "I know." A look of surprise crossed Athena's face, so I continued to explain. "I don't think he loves me anymore. Percy, I mean. It's just that, I don't know, he seemed to become kind of distant lately."

She nodded to herself like she was confirming something, and at that moment I knew. I was true. It was all true.

"Well, I have to go to the concert. I-I'll see you later mom." With that I turned around and slumped at the door, tears in my eyes. When I got to the pavilion, Percy came up to me looking confused and scared. I decided I should start the conversation, but what came out wasn't what I was planning to say. "Percy, how could you?"

"How could I what?" he knew exactly what I was talking about. I knew he did.

"You don't like me anymore," it was just too weird to say the word "love" around him in this situation. "And I know your cheating on me." Okay, so that part wasn't exactly true, but it seemed like the only explanation.

By then, I had tears rolling slowly down my face. "What are you talkin-" he started but I interrupted him.

"Save it Percy, I don't want to hear it." With that, I quickly walked away. I was to shaken up to know where I was going, until I heard cheering and a bright spotlight shown in my eyes. "Ann-a-beth! Ann-a-beth!" the campers started cheering as Grover ran out on the stage with me and gave me a microphone.

I don't know why, but the first song that came to my mind was "Jar of Hearts." Maybe it was because I like the song, or maybe it was because the song fit the situation perfectly.

I started to sing:

"_I know I can't take one more step towards you_

'_Cause all that's waiting is regret__  
><em>_And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore__  
><em>_You lost the love I loved the most"_

So true__

_"I learned to live half alive__  
><em>_And now you want me one more time"___

_"And who do you think you are__  
><em>_Running 'round leaving scars__  
><em>_Collecting your jar of hearts__  
><em>_And tearing love apart__  
><em>_You're gonna catch a cold__  
><em>_From the ice inside your soul__  
><em>_So don't come back for me__  
><em>_Who do you think you are"___

_"I hear you're asking all around__  
><em>_If I am anywhere to be found__  
><em>_But I have grown too strong__  
><em>_To ever fall back in your arms"_

By know, I spotted Percy in the front row with tears in his eyes.__

_"And learn to live half alive__  
><em>_And now you want me one more time"___

_"And who do you think you are__  
><em>_Running 'round leaving scars__  
><em>_Collecting your jar of hearts__  
><em>_And tearing love apart__  
><em>_You're gonna catch a cold__  
><em>_From the ice inside your soul__  
><em>_So don't come back for me__  
><em>_Who do you think you are"_

___"Dear, it took so long just to feel alright__  
><em>_Remember how to put back the light in my eyes__  
><em>_I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed__  
><em>_Cause you broke all your promises__  
><em>_And now you're back__  
><em>_You don't get to get me back"___

_"And who do you think you are__  
><em>_Running 'round leaving scars__  
><em>_Collecting your jar of hearts__  
><em>_And tearing love apart__  
><em>_You're gonna catch a cold__  
><em>_From the ice inside your soul__  
><em>_So don't come back for me__  
><em>_Don't come back at all"___

_"And who do you think you are__  
><em>_Running 'round leaving scars__  
><em>_Collecting your jar of hearts__  
><em>_And tearing love apart__  
><em>_You're gonna catch a cold__  
><em>_From the ice inside your soul__  
><em>_Don't come back for me__  
><em>_Don't come back at all"___

_"Who do you think you are?__  
><em>_Who do you think you are?__  
><em>_Who do you think you are?"_

I walked off the stage, only to see Percy waiting for me. Once I got up to him, he practically whisper-yelled at me. "Is that what you think is going on? Really?" I started to say something but he cut me off. "Just listen." He walked onto the stage, taking the microphone from me as he passed.

I walked down to the seats and sat where he was sitting during my song. Once he started to sing, I recognized the song; Never too late.

"_This world will never be what I expected__  
><em>_And if I don't belong who would have guessed it__  
><em>_I will not leave alone everything that I own__  
><em>_To make you feel like it's not too late, it's never too late"___

_"Even if I say it'll be alright__  
><em>_"Still I hear you say you want to end your life__  
><em>_Now and again we try to just stay alive__  
><em>_Maybe we'll turn it around 'cause it's not too late__  
><em>_It's never too late"___

_"No one will ever see this side reflected__  
><em>_And if there's something wrong who would have guessed it?__  
><em>_And I have left alone everything that I own__  
><em>_To make you feel like it's not too late, it's never too late"___

_"Even if I say it'll be alright__  
><em>_Still I hear you say you want to end your life"___

_"Now and again we try to just stay alive__  
><em>_Maybe we'll turn it around 'cause it's not too late__  
><em>_It's never too late"___

_"The world we knew won't come back__  
><em>_The time we've lost can't get back__  
><em>_The life we had won't be ours again"___

_"This world will never be what I expected__  
><em>_And if I don't belong"___

_"Even if I say it'll be alright__  
><em>_Still I hear you say you want to end your life__  
><em>_Now and again we try to just stay alive__  
><em>_Maybe we'll turn it around 'cause it's not too late__  
><em>_It's never too late"___

_"Maybe we'll turn it around 'cause it's not too late__  
><em>_It's never too late__  
><em>_It's not too late, it's never too late"_

It's not too late? Please! Like I cared. I had a song for that one; Because of you.

When I passed him backstage, I looked at him and just passed him up without a word.

"_I will not make__  
><em>_The same mistakes that you did__  
><em>_I will not let myself__  
><em>_'Cause my heart so much misery"___

_"I will not break__  
><em>_The way you did, you fell so hard__  
><em>_I've learned the hard way__  
><em>_To never let it get that far"___

_"Because of you__  
><em>_I never stray too far from the sidewalk__  
><em>_Because of you__  
><em>_I learned to play on the safe side__  
><em>_So I don't get hurt"___

_"Because of you__  
><em>_I find it hard to trust__  
><em>_Not only me, but everyone around me__  
><em>_Because of you, I am afraid'___

_"I lose my way__  
><em>_And it's not too long before you point it out__  
><em>_I cannot cry__  
><em>_Because I know that's weakness in your eyes"___

_"I'm forced to fake__  
><em>_A smile, a laugh, every day of my life__  
><em>_My heart can't possibly break__  
><em>_When it wasn't even whole to start with"___

_"Because of you__  
><em>_I never stray too far from the sidewalk__  
><em>_Because of you__  
><em>_I learned to play on the safe side__  
><em>_So I don't get hurt"___

_"Because of you__  
><em>_I find it hard to trust__  
><em>_Not only me, but everyone around me__  
><em>_Because of you, I am afraid"___

_"I watched you die, I heard you cry__  
><em>_Every night in your sleep__  
><em>_I was so young, you should have known__  
><em>_Better than to lean on me"___

_"You never thought of anyone else__  
><em>_You just saw your pain"__  
><em>

"_And now I cry in the middle of the night,_

_For the same damn thing"_

___"Because of you__  
><em>_I never stray too far from the sidewalk__  
><em>_Because of you__  
><em>_I learned to play on the safe side__  
><em>_So I don't get hurt"___

_"Because of you__  
><em>_I tried my hardest just to forget everything__  
><em>_Because of you__  
><em>_I don't know how to let anyone else in"___

_"Because of you__  
><em>_I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty__  
><em>_Because of you, I am afraid"___

_"Because of you__  
><em>_Because of you"_

He was waiting again backstage and he shook his head at me, passing me, going onto the stage again. What's wrong with him? I know I'm right!

"_I feel it every day, it's all the same__  
><em>_It brings me down but I'm no one to blame__  
><em>_I've tried everything to get away"___

_"So here I go again__  
><em>_Chasing you down again__  
><em>_Why do I do this?"___

_"Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_I fall for you__  
><em>_Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_I try not to"___

_"It feels like everyday stays the same__  
><em>_It's dragging me down__  
><em>_And I can't pull away"___

_"So here I go again__  
><em>_Chasing you down again__  
><em>_Why do I do this?"___

_"Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_I fall for you__  
><em>_Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_I try not to"___

_"Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_You make me fall for you__  
><em>_Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_You don't even try"___

_"So many thoughts that I can't get out of my head__  
><em>_I try to live without you, every time I do I feel dead__  
><em>_I know what's best for me but I want you instead__  
><em>_I'll keep on wasting all my time"___

_"Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_I fall for you__  
><em>_Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_I try not to"___

_"Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_You make me fall for you__  
><em>_Over and over, over and over__  
><em>_You don't even try to"__  
><em>

I can't believe it. I _cannot_ believe it. I felt as if my heart was being ripped out because of all the confusion, love, hate, and sadness all mixed together. I went backstage and was planning on passing by Percy with extra coolness, but as I was passing by, he stuck his arm out catching me around the waist, pulling me in.

"Annabeth."

I looked away, "what?"

With his arm still around me, he put his other hand on my cheek, pulling my face forwards so I was looking at him again. "Look at me Annabeth. What's wrong? Why are we doing this?"

"Because," tears started to lightly fall down my cheeks. "You don't like me anymore. So you cheated on me."

"Why would you think that?" he had on a look of horror.

"Because, you started becoming more distant, then you started talking to the Aphrodite girls a lot." once I said it, I knew it was true. How could I have missed that?

He looked around nervously, "can we talk about this in my cabin?" I nodded and he dragged me off to cabin three.

When we got there, he held me just like he did backstage. "Now, please explain." I told him how Athena had come to my cabin and convinced me that he didn't like me, but the whole time I was talking I made sure to use the word "like" instead of . . . the other word.

"Annabeth, your mother is right, your right. I don't like you." my heart just about ripped itself apart then. He leaned close to my ear and whispered so low I thought I never heard it, but I did. "I love you." he said.

"Then, why where you always hanging around and talking to the Aphrodite girls?" I half asked half accused him.

"Because I was asking how I should tell you." he answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And you also made yourself more distant." I made sure it wasn't a question

"Because I was nervous." I got out of his hold and walked over to the window, looking across the field out into the sun setting over the sea. He talked from somewhere behind me in the cabin. "Then you accused me of cheating on you, and I just about died." His voice got closer to me as he walked up. "After that, you sang about me stealing people's hearts, but there was only you. There never where any other girls to me, only you. And, I didn't steal your heart; you ripped it away from me." He was right behind me now, putting his arms around me again.

The tears that where slowly falling where now streaming a non-stop river. "Please Annabeth, don't cry . . . . . don't cry." He turned me around, pulling me closer, and leaned in to kiss me. He slowly moved his hand down to my back and started drawing little hearts with his index finger. Meanwhile, his other hand was in my hair.

"Okay, but-" the conch horn rang, announcing that the concert (which we missed the rest of) was over and it was time for bed. "Gotta go." I started to walk to the door, but Percy just tightened his hold on me.

"Please don't go." he begged.

"Percy. . . ." he whimpered. I rolled my eyes, "fine." I got into the bed with him, not worrying to go and change into pajamas. He put his arm around me and pulled me closer, keeping me warm. I slowly, slowly fell asleep.


End file.
